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Top 5 most important product recalls in US history

Product recalls happen nearly every day, but these five had a lasting impact. Can you guess which product recall was the most significant?

4.
Jarts (lawn darts)

Wikimedia commons

Lawn darts, seen here, are banned from sale in the United States and Canada. They can be bought abroad, but won't be allowed through customs.

December 12, 2012

By Schuyler VelascoStaff writer

Date: December 1988

Why it’s important: If you were born before 1980, you may remember lawn darts. A backyard hybrid of regular darts and horseshoes, the game involved throwing large plastic darts with weighted, sharp metal tips into plastic rings on the ground.

If you think that sounds dangerous, the US government agrees with you. Following three lawn dart-related deaths between 1970 and 1988, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned sale of the game in the United States. Canada followed suit a year later. Some plastic-tipped lawn dart alternatives are available in Canada.

While not exactly a recall, the lawn dart ban is notable for a product being deemed unsafe enough to completely outlaw after a significant period on the market.